Power drive arrangement for concrete mixers



Jan; 6, 1 953 c. GERST POWER DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Oct. 17, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet l L g 5 '"1 2* T B. I E L %o%t f f P I 25R? i LO 3: 2 5

M 000 mai BY CHRIS SE??? Jan. 6, 1953 c. GERST POWER DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR CONCRETE MIXERS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 17, 1951 INVENTOR. UHF/5 EERST BY 3 a 177 Jan. 6, 1953 c. GERST POWER DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR CONCRETE MIXERS 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 17, 1951 JNVENTOR. CHRIS BEES T 6, 1953 c. GERST POWER DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Oct. 17, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR. CHRIS 55957- M Win-n Jan. 6, 1953 c. GERST POWER DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR CONCRETE MIXERS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Oct. 17, 1951 .illrlr ll l oi ri m 5 m m R H G C. GERST POWER DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Jan. 6, 1953 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Oct. 17, 1951 E 8 a a 8 so sq 3 m3 Q N 03 m? l Q3 Q3 m+ mm \MWN +3 4 m dvw w Q mmw fi ax an INVENTOR. G H R/S EERS 7' Patented Jan. 6, 1953 POWER DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Chris Gerst, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Transmission & Gear Company, Dearborn, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan Application October 17, 1951, Serial No. 251,761

14 Claims. (Cl. 259-168) This invention relates in general to vehicles supporting individual rotary devices driven by individual power units, and, more particularly, to individual power drive arrangements for rotary devices such as mixing drums of truck mixers in which the mixing drum is driven by a power transmission system embodying a primary transmission directly coupled with an engine and a secondary transmission coupled with the primary transmission and the front wall of the mixing drum.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved and compact power drive arrangement for the mixing drum of a concrete truck mixer or similar device which drive arrangement includes a primary transmission in the form of a planetary drive and a secondary transmission having two speed gearing and bevel gearing for alignment of the output shaft of the secondary transmission with the mixing drum to be coupled with said output shaft and supported thereby.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a power drive arrangement of the type described above which embodies in its primary transmission a reversible planetary drive including brake means adapted to stop rotation of said planetary drive when in neutral position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a power drive arrangement of the type referred to above including elongated supporting means for the primary transmission and embodying a secondary transmission in an upright housing provided with elongated supporting arms extended from the front wall of said housing in inclined relation with respect thereto and at a right angle to said elongated supporting means to permit attachment of said arms to said elongated supporting means for proper and rigid mounting of the housing in inclined relation with respect to the primary transmission.

The above and still other additional objects and novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts by which the objects in view have been attained, will appear and are set forth in detail in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a certain practical embodiment of the invention, but it will be apparent as the specification proceeds that the structure may be modified and changed in various ways without departure from the true spirit and broad scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a mixing drum coupled with and driven and supported by a power drive arrangement constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the power drive arrangement shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a side view of such power drive arrangement;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the housing of the secondary transmission of the power drive arrangement; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the housing shown in Fig. 4, the section being taken on line 55 of said figure;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged end view of the primary transmission with parts broken away to partly disclose the operating mechanism thereof;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the primary transmission having the cover member removed to disclose some of the operating mechanism for the brake band of said transmission;

Fig, 8 is a sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9'is a sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a view showing in section, in a somewhat diagrammatic way, the shafts and gearing of the secondary transmission including the bevel gearing arrangement and the two-speed gear arrangement:

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on line ll-Il of Fig. 10 showing the operating means for the two-speed gear arrangement;

Fig. 12 is a combined view showing in section and proper relation the different parts of the coupling member for universally connecting the output shaft of the power drive arrangement with the front wall of a mixing drum; and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary plan View of the toothed flange showing the crown shape of its teeth.

Referring now more in detail to the exemplifled form of the invention shown in the drawings, reference numeral 2 denotes the main frame of a concrete mixer, which frame freely rotatably supports the rear end 3 of a mixing drum 4 having its front end 5 driven and supported by a drive arrangement 6 mounted on bars I forming part of main frame 2. Drive arrangement 6 embodies a motor unit 8 which is mounted on parallel channel irons 9, 9 arranged crosswise of bars I, a primary transmission I0 and a secondary transmission I I, the output shaft I04 of which supports and is coupled with the front wall [4 of mixing drum 4 in a manner later to be described.

The primary transmission 10 embodies a main ion 28 freely rotatably mounts in ball bearings 22 in axial bore 2| the one end of a shaft 23 of a planetary transmission 24, which shaft near its other end is freely rotatably mounted in a ball bearing 25 arranged in a flanged opening 26'of cover member l1 and is extended through said opening outside of main housing l for a coupling connection with secondary transmissionv H as will be later described.

Planetary transmission 24 embodies-a planetary drive structure 27 and a spring loaded clutch structure 28 directly coupled therewith. The

planetary drive structure consists of a sun. gear 29 which is mounted on the splined portion 30 of shaft 23 and meshes with three planet gears 3| journaled on stud shafts 32 mounted on a freely rotatably supported planet gear carrier 33.

The planet gears 3| mesh with three idler planet gears 34 which are journaled on stud shafts 35 also mounted on the planet gear carrier 33. The three idler planet gears 34 in addition mesh with the drive pinion 28 of input shaft |8thus effecting a driving connection of said input shaft with the planetary drive structure 21. The clutch structure 28 embodies a main body portion 36 which is mounted on the splined portion 38 of shaft 23 and includes a splined circumferential,

flange 31 encircled in radially spaced relation by an internally splined, laterally extended flange 38 on planet gear carrier 33. The flangesl3l and 8 non-rotatably and laterally shiftably support cooperating sets of friction disks 48 and 4| arranged to frictionally engage each other when shifted by the yielding force of the ring-shaped, spring-pressed clamping plate member 42 of a clamping plate structure 43 toward a backing.

flange 44 integrally formed on the planet gear carrier 33. The clamping plate structure 43 embodies a cover member 45 secured tothe flange 4'3 of planet carrier 33, which cover'member mounts in recessed areas pre-loaded springs 41 yieldingly forcing the ring-shaped clamping plate member 42 toward backing flange 44.

The planetary transmission 24 which has its planetary drive structure 21' and spring-loaded clutch structure 28 directly coupled with each other by planet gear carrier 33, rotatably mounted on ball bearings 48 and 49, affords a simple and economic means to effect forward and reerse rotation of shaft 23 and arresting of rotation of such shaft. Thus, when clutch structure 28 is activated, rotation of input shaft I8 is directly transferred to shaft 23 by drive pinion 28, idler planet gears 34, planet gears 3| and sun gear 29, the gears being then non-rotatably interlocked with each other due to the coupling of planet gear carrier 33 with the main body portion 36 of clutch structure 28. In this case input shaft H5 and shaft 23 are coupled for direct rotation in the same direction and at the same speed.

When the clutch structure 28 is inactivated in a manner later to be described rotation of input shaft 8 is transferred by drive pinion 20 through idler planet gears 34, planet gears 3| and sun gear 29 to shaft 23. In this case, rotation of shaft 23 is resisted, whereas rotation ofplanet gear carrier 33 is unimpeded so that planet gears 34 and 3| effect idling of planet gear carrier 46 around shaft 23. When clutch structure 28 is inactivated and planet gear carrier 33 arrested in a manner later to be described, rotation of input shaft I8 is transferred to shaft 23 through idlerplanet gears 34, planet gears 3| and sun gear 29, so'that shaft 23 is rotated in a reverse direction to the direction of rotation of input shaft I8.

Drive pinion 20 of input shaft H; which is continuously rotated by motor unit 8, furthermore, drives a clutch controlled centrifugal pump 50 which is mounted in a housing extension 5| secured to main housing l5. For such purpose main. housing |5 rotatably mounts in ball bearings 52,v 53 a countershaft 54 carrying on its splined inner end 55a gear 58 which by means of an idler gear 51 is coupled with drive pinion 28. The countershaft 54 extends through the wall of mainhousing |5 into housing extension 5| and mounts on its splined end 58 a friction disk assembly 59 of a spring loaded clutch 88 having a throw-out device 6| of common construction actuated by a clutch lever 62. Friction clutch 68 embodies a backing plate structure 63, the hub portion 64 of which is journaled in the cover 65 of housing extension 5| and is keyed to the inner end portion of a shaft 66 for the centrifugal pump 58, the housing 61 of which is formed integrally with the cover 65 of housing extension 5|.

The thus described planetary transmission has its planetary drive structure and spring-loaded clutch structure shifted to forward and reverse drive positions by a shifting lever 68 coupled with the outwardly extended endportion 69 of a cam shaft 18. This cam shaft mounts on end portion 59a cam 1| which actuates upon a brake arrangement 12 adapted to stop rotation of planet gear. carrier and spring loaded clutch structure 28. The brake arrangement f2 embodies a brake band I3 which partly encircles the periphery flange M of planet gear carrier 33. Brake band 73 has one end 75 adjustably secured to main housing l5, a screw member 16 engaged with said end and threadedly connected with said housing being used for this purpose and engageswith its other end 17 a shiftable cam member 18 slidably supported in housing l5 and hinged to a crank arm 19 on cam shaft 10 for reciprocatory movement with respect to the end TI of brake band 13 when said cam shaft is rotated in opposite direction by shifting lever 68.. The shiftable cam member is guided between two oppositely arranged grooved rollers 88 and 8|, roller of which is adjustably secured in housing |5 by a screw member 82 and roller 8| 0f whichis mounted on bracket Bil-at the end 71 of brake band 13, which bracket by a compression spring 84 is yieldingly shifted toward sliiftable cam member 18 to contact the roller 8| with said cam member. Shiftable cam member 18 includes at one end a cam-shaped extension adaptedcto effect shifting of bracket 83 against the force of spring 84 toward bracket 83 at the end '55 of brake band 13 so as to tightly grip the peripheral flange 'M'of planet gear carrier 33 and arrest its rotation.

The spring-loaded ,clutch structure 28 is inactivated when the spring pressed clamping plate member 42 thereof is shifted against the force of springs 41 toward the cover member 45 by a lever 81 pivoted to such cover member. Such shifting of the clamping plate member is effected by a collar 88 slidably mounted on a tubular flange member 89 secured to housing I5, which flange member has shaft '23 extended therethrough. Collar 88 is engaged with the end of a forked lever arm 90 by means of a thrust bearing 9| to permit shifting of the clamping plate member 42 into inoperative position for inactivation of clutch structure 28. The forked lever arm 90 is securely mounted on a pivot shaft 92 which is journaled in bearings 93, 94 in housing I5 and extended with its end 95 outside of said housing to mount on its exposed end portioin a lever arm 91 arranged to cooperate with the cam H of cam shaft 10 by means of a roller 98 adjustably mounted on the lever arm 91 to properly time operation of brake band 13 and inactivation of spring-loaded clutch structure 28.

Secondary transmission II embodies a housing 99 having mounted therein a multi-speed transmission I00, the input shaft IOI of which is coupled by universal joint coupling I02 with shaft 23 of the primary transmission, and the output shaft of which by bevel and reduction gearing is coupled with output shaft I04 of drive arrangement 6. Input shaft IOI which is journaled in housing 99 in ball bearings I05, I06 includes a splined central portion which slidably and non-rotatably supports a double spur gear I01 arranged to be shifted either to mesh its spur gear portion I08 with a gear I09 on a countershaft IIO journaled in housing 99 in ball bearings III, .2 or to mesh its spur gear portion I I4 with a spur gear H5 in said countershaft. Spur gear I09 on countershaft H meshes with a spur gear II6 on a second countershaft II1 journaled in bearings H8, H9 and mounting on one end a bevel pinion I20 of bevel gearing I2I which bevel pinion meshes with bevel gear I22 to couple the second countershaft II1 with a shaft I23 rectangularly related to the countershaft H1. The shaft I23 which is journaled in bearings I24, I25 includes a small gear I26 meshing a large gear I21 on a countershaft I28 journaled in bearings I29, I30 and this latter countershaft mounts a small gear I3I meshing a large gear I32 on output shaft I04 of drive arrangement 6.

The output shaft I04 which includes an axial bore I33 and is extended through opposite walls I34 and I35 of housing 99 is mounted in roller bearings I36, I31. This output shaft has mounted on its splined outer end portion I38 a ringshaped coupling member I39 formed with a toothed peripheral flange I40 whichincludes symmetrically arranged, spaced, spherical outer surfaces I4I, I42 spaced from each other by a ring of crown teeth I43 circumferentially extended from said flange I40. Teeth I43 cooperate with a ring-shaped member I44 secured to ring-shaped attachment plate I45 by rivets I46, ring-shaped member including an inner circular edge I41 having cutouts I48 sized and arranged to loosely fit the crown teeth I43 for tilting movements between ring-shaped member I44 and coupling member I39 in case of axial disalignment of output shaft I04 with respect to the axis of mixing drum 4 when its front wall I4 is riveted to attachment plate I45 to couple said mixing drum with the output shaft. The ring-shaped member I44 is mounted in a two part sleeve member I49, the two parts I50 and II of which engage opposite sides of member I44 and are secured to each other by screw members I52 to provide a spherically shaped socket I53 with two internally spherically shaped 6. sleeve portions I54. I55 separated from each other by ring-shaped member I44. Preferably, as shown, sleeve portions I54 and I55 are undercut as at I56 to allow the desired tilting movement between coupling member I39 and ringshaped member I44.

The axial bore I33 in output shaft I04, which, as described above, is universally coupled with the front wall I4 of mixing drum 4 and supports its front portion axially thereof, provides a water passage for dispensing mixing and cleaning water into the mixing drum. For such purpose, output shaft I04 which has its end I51 extended into the mixing drum is sealed by a rubber diaphragm I58 to the sleeve portion I55 of sleeve member I49 and includes at its other end I59 a water inlet cap I60 secured to housing 99 and rotatably sealed to shaft I04. The cap I60 is connected by a hose I6I with the outlet I62 of centrifugal pump 50, the inlet I63 of which is connected, as customary, with a tank (not shown).

The thus constructed drive arrangement 6, motor unit 8 of which is mounted on parallel channel irons 9 which are welded to elongated Z- shaped bars 1 of main frame 2 has the housing I5 of its primary transmission bolted to the motor unit and the housing 99 of its secondary transmission attached by bolts to the bars 1. Housing 99 which has its main body portion arranged in inclined position with respect to bars 1 is additionally supported on the parallel channel irons 9 of main frame 2 by means of two forwardly extended leg members I65 and I66. These leg members which are extended from the front wall I34 of housing 99 in somewhat diverging relation with respect to each other, differentiate in length to permit seating of end portion I61 of shorter leg member I65 on channel iron 9 and seating of end portion I68 of longer leg member I66 on channel iron 9'. This construction provides proper mounting of all the structures of the drive arrangement on main frame 2 and in sures proper assembly of these structures to a compact, sturdy unit in which a portion of the housing of the primary transmission is extended between the leg members of the housing of the.

secondary transmission in close proximity to the main body portion thereof.

In operation of the multi-speed forward and reverse drive arrangement for the mixing drum of a truck mixer rotation of the output shaft I04 and the mixing drum 4 supported thereby and coupled therewith is effected by gear shift lever I69, engaging with its fork-shaped extension I10 a circumferential groove I1I between the spur gear portions I08 and H4 of double spur gear I01, when the gear shift lever I69 is shifted to effect either engagement of spur gear portion I08 with spur gear I09 or spur gear portion II4 with spur gear '6. A forward and reverse rotation of output shaft I04 is controlled by the planetary transmission 24. Thus, rotation of output shaft I04 and mixing drum 4 in one direction is brought about when spring-loaded clutch structure 28 effects a coupling action and brake arrangement 12 is released. This is effected by lever member I12 coupled by connecting link I13 with shifting lever 68 of planetary drive structure 21, the shifting lever, as previously stated, being mounted on cam shaft 10 including cam II controlling shifting of forked lever arm controlling clutch structure 28. When the coupling action of spring-loaded clutch structure 28 is released and brake arrangement 12 is activated,

output shaft I04 is rotated in an opposite direction and when the coupling action of the clutch:

mixing drum of a concrete mixer, a frame, a.

power driven primary transmission mounted on said frame, and a mixin drum supporting and driving secondary transmission mounted on said frame adjacent to said primary transmission in angular relation with respect thereto, said secondary transmission including a housing having spaced supporting leg members extended in front of said primary transmission, and said primary transmission being positioned in front of said housing between the supporting leg members thereof.

2. In a support; and drive arrangement for the mixing drum of a concrete mixer, an elongated frame, a power driven primary transmission mounted on said frame at one end crosswise thereof, and a mixing drum supporting and driving secondary transmission mounted on said frame adjacent to said primary transmission in angular relation with respect thereto and coupled therewith, said secondary transmission including a housing having supporting leg portions extended therefrom and mounted on said frame, and said primary transmission being positioned in front of said housing between the supporting leg portions thereof and in angular relation with respect thereto.

3. A support and drive arrangement asdescribed in claim 2, wherein said frame includes two laterally spaced, parallelly arranged cross members, wherein the supporting leg portions of said housing differentiate in length, and wherein one of said leg portions is mounted on one of said cross members and the other one of said leg members is mounted on the other one of said cross members.

4. A support and drive arrangement as described in claim 2, wherein said frame includes two laterally spaced, parallell arranged cross members, wherein the supporting leg portions of said housing diverge with respect to each otherand differentiate in length, and wherein the shorter one of said leg portions is mounted on the cross member adjacent to said housing and the longer one of said leg portions is mounted on the other one of said cross members.

5. In a support and drive arrangement for the mixing drum of a concrete mixer, a frame including two parallelly arranged supporting bars, an engine mounted on said frame at one end thereof, a primary transmission mounted on said frame in front of said engine and coupled with said engine, and a mixing drum supporting and driving secondary transmission including a housing mounted on said supporting bars, said secondary transmission angularly related to said primary transmission and coupled therewith, said housing formed with two leg portions laterally extended therefrom and said. leg portions. differentiatin in length and being seated on and secured to said frame to join the primary and secondary transmissions to a compact unit in which the primary transmission is extended in-frontof the secondary transmission between the two leg portions of the housing thereof.

6. A support and drive arrangement as described in claim 5, wherein the primary transmission embodies a reversible transmission coupled with the secondary transmission by a universal coupling positioned between the two leg portions of the housing of said secondary transmission.

'7. A support and drive arrangement as described in claim 5, wherein the primary transmission embodies a reversible planetary type transmission coupled with the secondary transmission by a universal coupling positioned between the two leg portions of the housing thereof, and wherein the secondary transmission includes multi-speed gearing for multi-speed forward and reverse rotation of a mixing drum supported and driven by the secondary transmission of said unit.

8. In a support and drive arrangement for the mixing drum of a concrete mixer, an elongated frame includin two parallelly arranged supporting bars and supporting means mounted crosswise on said bars at one end thereof, an engine mounted on said supporting means, a primary transmission mounted on said supporting means and coupled with said engine, and a mixing drum supporting and driving secondary transmission including a housing mounted adjacent to said primary transmission on said supporting bars and extended in inclined postion with respect thereto, said secondary transmission being rectangularly related to said supporting means and having le portions extended from the housing to said supporting means for connection therewith, said leg portions differentiating in length for individual attachment to said supporting means, and said primary transmission extended between said leg portions, and a universal coupled connecting the primary and secondary transmissions with each other.

9. A support and drive arrangement as described in claim 8, wherein said primary transmission embodies a reversible, planetary type transmission including a drive shaft and a pump driving countershaft geared to said drive shaft.

10. A support and drive arrangement as described in claim 8, wherein said primary transmission embodies a reversible planetary type transmission including a drive shaft, a countershaft geared to said drive shaft, a centrifugal pump, and releasable clutch means connecting said centrifugal pump with said countershaft.

11. A support and drive arrangement as described in claim 8, wherein said primary transmission embodies a reversible planetary type transmission, and wherein said secondary transmission embodies a multi-speed transmission to permit multi-speed forward and reverse rotation of a mixing drum supported and driven by said secondary transmission.

12. A support and drive arrangement as descried in claim 8, wherein said primary transmission embodies a reversible, planetary type transmission including a drive shaft, a countershaft geared to said drive shaft and a centrifugal pump having an outlet, wherein said secondary transmission includes a tubular shaft journaled in said housing and extended at opposite ends outside thereof, and wherein the outlet of said centrifugal pump is coupled with said tubular shaft by tubular means to permit feeding of liquid from said pump to and through said tubular shaft.

13. A support and drive arrangement as described in claim 8, wherein said primary transmission embodies a reversible, planetary type transmission including an output shaft, and wherein said secondary transmission includes an input shaft opposite the output shaft of said primary transmission for coupling connection therewith, an output shaft angularly related to the said input shaft and gearing including bevel gearing for connecting the output shaft of the secondary transmission with its input shaft.

14. A support and drive arrangement as described in claim 8, wherein said primary transmission embodies a reversible, planetary type transmission including an output shaft, and wherein said secondary transmission includes an input shaft opposite the output shaft of said primary transmission for coupling connection therewith, an output shaft angularly related to the said 10 input shaft, a multi-speed gearing coupled with the input shaft and gearing including bevel gearing for connecting the output shaft of the secondary transmission with the said multi-speed gearing.

CHRIS GERST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,277,517 J-aeger et a1 Mar. 24, 1942 2,511,240 Bohmer et a1 June 13, 1950 2,556,034 Gerst June 5, 1951 2,563,336 Jaeger Aug. 7, 1951 

